Simplify Fall 2018- Kid's Clothes

My oldest daughter has quite the wardrobe.  Between gifts and hand-me-downs, she has a lot of clothing.  I rarely have to go out to purchase much for her, which is such a blessing.  Her wardrobe does get out of control, however.  She loves digging through her drawers and leaving things in disarray.  She has recently developed the habit of putting dirty clothes back in drawers, so that is fun...

I generally clean out my daughter's closet and dresser seasonally and every time she has a growth spurt.  It is Fall which means that it is time to pack away her summer duds and go through her warm weather clothes.  I sorted through all of her clothes and took out anything that was too small, stained or that she refuses to wear.  She has always had strong opinions when it comes to her clothes.

I kept a few of the items for Miss. Em to grow into, I passed a few clothes to a friend's daughter and I threw away the stained pieces.  I was very honest with myself when it came to what my daughter would actually wear.  I would much rather someone else get use out of an item than have it sit in her dresser for ages.

Before:

Items removed from closet and dresser:

After:

Tips for Going Through Your Child's Clothing:

• Depending on your child's age (my daughter is 4), you may want to do this without your child present.  I find it much easier to take away clothes that are too small or are in poor shape without Miss. E declaring how much she loves it.  
• Sort clothing into a donation (or hand-me-down) box, a garbage bag or put it straight back into the closet/dresser.  This will make it easier to get items to reach their final destination and you won't get mixed up.  If something needs repairs, try to get to it as soon as possible so that it can be put away.
• Be realistic.  My daughter had the cutest pair of polka dot jeans in her dresser.  They were a gift.  She hates them.  She flat out refused to wear denim at this stage of her life.  It's leggings or sweat pants only.  I think that they are adorable but they are simply cluttering her drawers.  I put them in a box of clothes that I am hoping Miss. Em will wear when she is older.
• Don't save too much.  We attach memories to things.  We remember the lovely wedding that our child wore that dress to or the sweet day at the pumpkin patch.  We don't need to save the clothes to save the memories, however.  I do set aside the odd item for my daughters to have when they are grown up, but I try to keep that amount reasonably small.  I also find that time helps me detach from the item so if something is difficult to let go, set it aside and re-evaluate in few months time.